Pre-match information
The confrontation between Thep Xanh Nam Dinh and Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in Group B of the C1 Southeast Asian Cup is not only of professional significance, but also a showdown between two typical representatives of Vietnamese and Malaysian football.
In the context that JDT is forced to win to nurture the hope of taking the top spot, Nam Dinh entered the match with a comfortable attitude thanks to a great advantage after the previous impressive results.
After 4 rounds of matches in the group stage, the Nam Dinh team is temporarily leading Group B with a perfect record. They scored 12 goals and only conceded 2 times. Compared to Cong An Hanoi stopping early in Group A, Nam Dinh is becoming a great hope for Vietnamese football in the regional arena.
However, the form of coach Mauro Jerónimo's team is still quite precarious. In the regional arena, Nam Dinh just had a convincing 3-0 victory over Lion City Sailors, in which Nguyen Xuan Son shone with a double goal.
However, when returning to the V.League, the defending champion revealed instability. Although soon creating a 2-goal gap against Dong A Thanh Hoa, Nam Dinh could not maintain the necessary concentration and let the opponent equalize 2-2.
Holding a great advantage in the race to win a ticket to the semi-finals helps Nam Dinh reduce pressure when hosting JDT at Thien Truong Stadium. A draw is enough for the Vietnamese representative to maintain the top spot in Group B.
In the opposite direction, JDT marched to Vietnam with the highest determination. Victory is the only goal that the Malaysian representative is aiming for.
